'He Needs An Education!' Kemi Badenoch Clashes With Labour MPs Over Welfare Reforms

MPs clashing in parliamentKemi Badenoch locked horns with multiple Labour backbenchers today while trying to attack the government’s plans to cut the welfare bill.In a debate hours before MPs are set to vote on Labour’s proposals to reduce universal credit and personal independence payments (PIP), the leader of the opposition laid into the proposals – and suggested the Tories would do it better.Although Labour MPs have been divided over these controversial proposals – and the government fears rebels might upend the bill altogether – this claim from Badenoch seemed to temporarily unite the Labour MPs together in the House. While laying into the current government’s handling of the public finances, she claimed the Conservatives were “spending under control, cutting the deficit every year” when they were in power – until Covid hit.As Labour MPs started to scoff, the Tory leader said: “It is delightful to hear them laughing. I remember us sitting on that side of the house, and they demanded we spend more and more and more money!“Thank God it was the Conservatives who were there under Covid – Labour would have bankrupted the country.”She said Labour were “too busy trying to shift the blame instead of solving the problem”.Labour grandee Emily Thornberry then hit back: “I wonder if she could help out. When was it during the 14 years the Conservatives were in power was the time that the benefit system worked well?”As Labour MPs shouted their support for this intervention, Badenoch said: “I would remind her of our inheritance!”She claimed they halved unemployment rates by the time they left office, and got Universal Credit through.But Birmingham Northfield MP Laurence Turner then stepped in to correct her.He said: “I’m sure she would not want an inaccurate statement to stand on the record – unemployment fell under just two 20th century governments.“The first Labour government, and the 1970 government of Ed Heath.“Now I know she’s repeating a standard Conservative party message, but it is a cynical and silly misuse of statistics.”Badenoch rejected that claim too, saying: “The Honourable Gentleman is simply wrong. He needs to get an education and look at the facts.”A third Labour backbencher then attacked the leader of the opposition.Mark Ferguson, MP for Gateshead Central and Whickham, said: “I don’t know about the rest of the House but I’m baffled here that the leader of the opposition has made a virtue of her blank slate and her blank sheet of paper.”Pointing to the Tories’ offer last week to work together to get the welfare bill through, he continued: “But is she in favour of more or less? Is she in favour of the actions of her government, or not? Because this complete lack of taking responsibility is exactly what got us into this mess in the first place.”But Badenoch hit back: “Mr Speaker, I’m not surprised he’s baffled because he’s clearly not listening to what I’m saying.”“We agreed to support the government if they could make three simple commitments,” she said, pointing to her demand to cut the overall welfare bill, getting more people into work and standing by the commitment not to introduce more tax rises.“What did we get from the government? A sneery response that they could manage on their own. How’s that going?” The Tory leader noted.At least 39 Labour MPs have signed a fresh amendment calling for the welfare bill to be stopped.All MPs will be voting on that amendment this evening.If it does not get enough support, MPs will then vote on the government’s bill.Related...Labour's 'Botched' Welfare Reforms Fail 1 Key Test, Ex-Bank Of England Economist ClaimsKeir Starmer Braced For Biggest Labour Rebellion Of His Time As PM Over Welfare CutsSadiq Khan Joins Growing Labour Backlash Against Starmer's Welfare Concessions

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